Bootcamp - the questions thread

[BIWI]

From experience of past Bootcamps, in the first few weeks the chat threads move really, really quickly and it's difficult sometimes to see/answer everything.

So this is a place to post any questions that you might have. Those of us who are old hands at low carbing will check this thread regularly and make sure that we answer you as soon as we can.

Miss I always think that if it's at all possible, it's best to listen to our bodies and rest when we feel tired. If you feel exhausted and aching, your body is saying strongly that it wants to rest, conserve energy and repair. You've recently had surgery too - be gentle with yourself! Convalescence used to be a vital part of illness and recovery but our society now expects people just to get up and get on with it, and suppress our symptoms in order to be more productive. It comes back to bite us on the arse, ime. Rant over!

Helium sorry to hear that. If he's this much of a wanker, just think how much better it'll be when he and all this are behind you.

Gilly I like to bake, and once on bootcamp light you can use ground almonds to make things like crumbles, cheesecakes and almond sponge. Yum!

Chester: do less frying.

Seriously, though, frying is not necessarily the best way to increase your fat intake. It's nice from time to time, and nothing beats eggs fried in loads of butter. Heating oils causes chemical changes that make them more unhealthy, especially vegetable oils. That's why the best, premium oils are always 'cold-pressed'.

Cook your meat in other ways, and eat it with mayo/butter/olive oil/cream sauce.

Vinegar is very good for getting rid of lingering smells. You can wipe down surfaces with white vinegar and leave overnight. Wipe again with a clean wet cloth the following day if you can still smell vinegar. Alternatively, just leave half a cup of vinegar I the room with the door closed overnight.

Chester - really daft question because I'm sure you would have thought of it, but do you not have an over-oven extractor fan/filter hood thing? I always switch mine on when I'm frying so that it pulls all the fatty smell up into it.

Why can't I do this? I did bootcamp last summer and lost weight half of which has crept back on. Now I seem to be stuck in a cycle of lasting three days before giving in to a massive chocolate binge. The last time I lasted 6 days before giving in last night. And the chocolate binges are massive, gross and out of control. I wish I could get back into the mindset I had last year.

We've not got an extractor I'm afraid. Will be getting new kitchen in the summer though and it's high on my list of wants.

I do cook in other ways but there just seems to be a generally foody smell lingering although I am rather fond of cremated bacon Windows open it is - roll on summer!

Woolfey I knew my greed and piggywiggy tendencies would come into their own in the end! I adapted a recipe for cheesecake last year using my go-to almond pastry as a base. It was much less sweet than a normal cheescake, obviously, but still lovely. I'll look for the recipe I adapted and let you know. I can see I'm gong to have to get busy on my blog once DD have left for NZ.

Chester it sounds like the lack of extractor fan is the problem then. Good suggestion about the vinegar. Bicarb of soda is great for deodorising but Not sure how you'd use it for airborn smells. Can you open the window every time you're frying? It draws the smell out that way. Otherwise just embrace the fact that your house smells of nice food and dog.

Rotten you can do it - you've done it before! You have to figure out why you're sabotaging yourself this time. What's going on in your life? What is triggering you to dive into the chocolate? Are you letting yourself get hungry? Are you eating something fatty and satisfying (like cream/ yoghurt) when you get the urge for chocolate? Is this emotional eating and could you find other ways of dealing with the emotion? Are you 'playing the video to the end' and thinking about how you'll feel after you eat the chocolate? I think you need to pull it apart a bit.

Crabby thank you. Normally I eat chocolate if I am insecure or as a treat. I am not feeling insecure but am treating myself I think for being 'good'. I also do that thing where if I eat it in secret it is somehow better. But I do get the most overwhelming cravings for sugar with this WOE which is obviously something I'd like to break. And after 3 days of these cravings I give in. I feel physically shit afterwards. Have to keep reminding myself of it.
I could probably keep more snacks on the go and food ready to go to keep the edge off.

Rotten I know for me personally that my willpower if I'm hungry is absolutely nonexistent. I could never do 5:2, for instance, as I can have the best intentions in the world but once I'm hungry all that goes out of the window. This WOE works for me because you never have to be hungry. I find that wanting something sweet after my evening meal is a oroblem, but I've been getting around that by having clotted cream and ff yoghurt with vanilla and flaxseed in. It has the right mouth feel, iykwim, and I can lick tiny bits at a time off the spoon like ice cream. On bootcamp light it's a breeze - berries with clotted cream or my yoghurt 'ice cream' - total yoghurt with frozen berries (cooked down to a mush in a pan), cream, vanilla and flaxseed. When you leave it overnight the flaxseed softens and absorbs moisture so you get an ice cream like consistency. Also berry crumbles made with almonds, and the odd square of 70/82% chocolate. Those are treats!!

Could you try writing down how you feel after you've eaten the chocolate, so that you can read it when you're craving it? Then eat something else instead and see how you feel. Think of other ways to treat yourself and focus on how the choc isn't a treat at all but a way of sabotaging yourself.

oooh Crabby Im practically drooling at the thought of your ice-cream :) I cant seem to find a link to your blog please can you link again.

I have another question - my DH doesnt seem to be losing much weight and he has got about a stone and a half to lose. I think he is eating to much Total youghurt and he is also finding it a struggle giving up milk, although he has reduced his tea/coffee consumption to about 4 a day.

Am I right in telling him to lay off the yoghurt and cheese?

He went to the football last night and didnt have a pie - thats absolutely amazing, he normally has no willpower.

One other thing, I find the hardest part of this WOE is the fact you have to be so organised - although Ive always meal planned its never been set in stone where as this WOE is, does anyone have any quick go to meals which can always be on standby?

And, I need snacks,preferably crunchy ones

Drooling at the thought of cheesecake!! Wow wow wow, being on Monday :)

How much water do I need to help flush out my excess water? Lol
I am retaining about 1/2 a stone in the lead up to my TOTM, are there any foods that could help?
Also, will I need to redo this week next week?

Hi, I've been lurking for a while, too scared to post until now...can I join in?

I have a question - I've just started LC, on Tuesday to be exact. Having a slight panic today - I always go to my Nan's on a Thursday for lunch, and it's always a carby feast of delicious homemade food. I can't tell her I can't eat it, she's almost 80, she really won't understand....

I'll have to eat it, but what will happen? Will it undo all the good work over the last couple of days? Last week it was spag bol, but even the Bolognese had potatoes in it! eek!

ooh golly

not sure what has happened to the spreadsheet, i think someone has got in a muddle

please could no one touch it for a bit as i will need to do some serious repair work

normal spreadsheet service has resumed

Has anyone tried making swede crisps? I'm DESPERATE for something salty and crunchy, and have a swede. Is it easy? does it work? Are they edible?
Thanks

Great tips thank you again crabby

Roast swede is delicious (make as for roast potatoes, just cut a little smaller) but I don't know whether it works as crisps. Why not try it, and report back!

You can make crisps out of kale. They are soooooo good . I find you have to turn them over a couple of times during cooking (or possibly I overload my oven trays), and other seasonings work really well, too.

RottenRow, I hear you. Me too.

I bet you already feel bad about the cravi
ng, because you know what it will lead to, and you anticipate the guilty feeling that will follow.

How about trying to think about it differently? Maybe say to yourself "I'm going to be good to myself. I'm looking after myself. I like chocolate and I will eat it when I can enjoy it." Promise yourself one square of chocolate in, say, 1hour, when you have done XYZ. Make it something achievable. And then make sure you eat that one square. Sit down, savour it, feel pleased with yourself.

Am on day 4 of LC, and for the last 2 days around 15.30 I start to get a headache (I can feel it coming on). Paracetamol doesn't help, neither does drinking more, and it gets worse until I go to bed. Then I wake up better. Any advice?!

Whiskersguinness my dad is 80 and he would understand. Why don't you just tell her straight you are cutting back to lose weight? Just pick out the meat and leave the potato perhaps? Good luck.

Does anyone low carb and do any sort of long distance endurance exercise? For example cycle 35+ miles. If you do on exercise days do you eat carbs, use gels and/or electrolyte drinks then go back to LCing on other days?